Week 41: Day 6 - October 15, 2016

• Race For The Rescues 10K run with one dog = 6.21 miles; time = 1:06:16; pace @ 10:40
• easy walk with three dogs = 2 miles

I did my pet charity 10k run/race this morning. I did the same last year and it was warmer last year. Although I would have preferred blistering cold this morning, the weather was nicer and more tolerable than last year. I don't think I will do this race again though. I paid an extra $15 to have my dog run with me in the race. On the website, it says that "registered" dogs (people who paid extra to bring their dogs) get something as well. I didn't get anything for my dog last year or this morning. So I feel like I'm being cheated or robbed. If I do this race again, I will still bring my dog, but I am not paying the extra $15. But at the same time, I'm probably being greedy and selfish because it was a charity event for animals in need.

I told my boss yesterday that I was running the 10k with my dog (who is little) in the morning with her longest run being 7.2 miles. Then she said "As she croaks" ("she" being my dog). This really bugged me because I spent three years training with my dog so she could do these 10K runs with me. She has already done four 10k races (including today) with me. The longest run that my dog has done is 7.2 miles and she has 6.6 miles many times with me. I am not making my dog run at full speed. I do not know how fast she can run at full speed, but I will never find out (or am willing to find out) because I do not like speed work (sprinting, tempo run, etc). She is running at a casual easy pace with me even though I don't feel like I'm running that easy. My average pace is 6 mph and I know she can run way faster than that at full speed. I told all of this to my boss. My boss automatically assumed that I was making my dog sprint the whole way and just because she (my dog) is small and has shorter legs than big dogs, she can't run. Dogs, regardless of size and breed, are like people. They need to train and learn how to run so they can reach a certain distance. It really bugged me when my boss thought that my dog would die from running six miles or seven miles after she has done four 10k runs, a 7.2 mile run, and many 6.6 mile runs in three years.